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Podcast: Witness History
Episode: Mikhail Gorbachev: Release of Irina Ratushinskaya
Description: Mikhail Gorbachev - the last leader of the Soviet Union - has died aged 91. On the eve of an important summit on nuclear disarmament between the Soviet Union and America in October 1986, Gorbachev ordered the release of a dissident poet called Irina Ratushinskaya.In 2012, Louise Hidalgo spoke to Irina about her imprisonment, her poetry, and the day she was set free.(Photo: Irina and her husband Igor, arriving in London in December 1986. Credit: Topfoto)